Buccal Fat Pad Removal
When to consider buccal fat Pad removal
While a gently rounded face is generally considered youthful, it’s easy to feel self-conscious about chubby cheeks. The buccal fat pad is located in the mid-cheek and gives volume to the cheeks. When a buccal fat pad is overly developed, it can result in an unwanted, round appearance.
When performed by double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Ponsky, fat pad extraction, or buccal fat pad removal, thins the lower cheeks and creates a leaner facial silhouette. Removing the buccal fat can give the patient a slimmer, more defined, or chiseled appearance and accentuate the cheekbones and jawline.
How It Helps
Buccal fat removal will slim the face and reveal the cheekbone angles women strive to achieve through makeup contouring and other surface approaches. As such, buccal fat pad extraction surgery is typically not recommended for people with thin, narrow faces, as removal of the fat may cause the face to look more drawn with age. Buccal fat pad removal gives a subtle but powerful change in appearance where the patient looks thinner with more defined facial features.
BEFORE
What to expect before buccal fat Pad removal surgery
Dr. Ponsky and her skilled clinical team will evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors, examine your face, and take photographs. During your consultation, plan to discuss your surgical goals, prescriptions for over-the-counter medications, and previous surgeries. With all this in mind, we will discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment and likely outcomes, in addition to any risks or potential complications of buccal fat removal surgery.
DURING
What to expect During buccal fat Pad removal surgery
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure, which may include intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Removing the buccal fat pad is a simple procedure, and the incision inside the cheek prevents visible scars. Incisions are made on the insides of the mouth, on the inner portion of each cheek, and are closed with absorbable sutures.
AFTER
What to expect after buccal fat removal surgery
Suppose your fat pad extraction is performed with general anesthesia or intravenous sedation. In that case, someone will need to drive you to and from surgery and should stay with you for at least the first night following surgery. Dissolvable sutures are placed in the mouth, and the patient remains on a soft diet for about five days. Swelling, bruising, and pain are generally minimal, and recovery is brief, quickly revealing a slimmer, contoured face.
